Wives and Partners
by Shae-Lynn1
Summary: Olivia and Elliot lose their jobs. Now they have to prove that they didn't do anything wrong. Chapter 55 Up!
1. Chapter 1

Elliot looked at his watch, then honked again at the car in front of him. It was useless, your typical Manhattan traffic jam, and he was going to be late for his appointment. Kathy was going to be angry. He considered calling her, but then the traffic began to move again. When he reached the building, he sprinted up the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. He arrived at the doctor's office and scanned the waiting room for his wife. 

"Mr. Stabler? They started without you. Sorry," said the receptionist, "They're in the first room on your left. Knock first, please." He could hear talking through the door, but couldn't make out any words. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before knocking. The door opened and Dr. Clark stepped into the hallway. 

"Ah, Elliot. Glad you could make it," he greeted. Dr. Clark was an extremely skinny, young man with a shock of black hair and a pierced nose. 

"About time," said Kathy angrily. Elliot stepped into the office and sat down in a chair across from her. 

"I'm sorry, Kath. There was a traffic jam...." 

"I'm sick of your excuses!" She said angrily. 

"Oh dear," said Dr. Clark, the marriage therapist, "Why don't we talk about this calmly?" Elliot and Kathy both sighed in unison and looked up at the doctor. He took a seat in a chair between them so that they formed a triangle. "Kathy, why don't you start?" 

"It's just that, it seems like more and more, Elliot's making excuses for why he can't be with me." 

"That's not fair...."Elliot began, but Dr. Clark interrupted. 

"Shhh! This is very interesting. Please continue, Kathy, what sort of excuses?" 

"Well, it's mostly work. I mean, I understand that it's a legitimate excuse, but it's been four years since you started your new job, and every year you tell me you're going to transfer to a less demanding job, but it never happens." 

"All right. Now, Elliot. What do you have to say to this?" Dr. Clark turned his full attention to Elliot, who wanted to smack the concerned look off his juvenile face. 

"Every single excuse I make is true. I've never lied about going to work or coming home late. Sure, a couple of times I've gone out with my friends to get something to eat, but Kathy can't expect me to just go to work and come straight home. My day doesn't end when I leave the precinct. Today's my day off. I'm spending it with you, right?" he said. 

"And what about a transfer?" Kathy interjected, finally talking straight to him instead of through the counsellor. 

"I still don't know about that. It's not as easy as it sounds, and I actually feel like I'm making a difference here," he responded, looking down at his hands. 

"Well, then. I really think this is an issue that you two need to be talking about a lot more. Talking will get this all out so you can deal with it," Dr. Clark stated. The problem was, Elliot didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to hear about all the things that were wrong with him. 

"It's Olivia," Kathy muttered under her breath. Elliot's head shot up. 

"Olivia?!" 

"Whoa!" Dr. Clark said, waving his arms between them to disconnect their glares. "Who is Olivia? Maybe you'd better answer first, Elliot." 

"Olivia Benson is my partner at work and my friend, nothing more," he said firmly, but even as he said it, he knew it wasn't entirely true. Kathy scoffed. 

"Kathy, why don't you trust him?" Dr. Clark asked. 

"Well, if I had a reason to, I would," she said bitterly. 

"Now, now. Don't do the anger dance," Clark admonished. Kathy looked like she wanted to kill him, too. They sat in silence for several minutes until Clark broke in again, "How's your sex life?" They both stared at him. "I'm serious." 

"We have four children," Elliot said. 

"So I suggest that your main focus in the near future should be to find more time alone without the kids. They must have friends they can go to, right? Or relatives?" To give him credit, he was trying to bring the talk back into a more positive light before the time ran out. Kathy nodded, brightening up, but Elliot only stared past her at the bookshelves. 

He prayed for his cell phone to ring and call him away to a crime scene, it would be better than sititng here with a wife he no longer loved and a doctor he hated and thinking about their plans for his evening. He was just too damn tired. 

At the end of the session, he got in his car and tried to shake off the vibes. At least he had the whole drive back to get his mind straight. 

Or he would have, except a call came in when he was halfway to the bridge. He called his house on his cell phone and told Maureen where he was. 

********* 

The phones at the SVU were ringing off the hook. Cragen pulled his detectives into his office. 

"How did this get out?" he demanded. They were as mystified as he was, but no one answered. "Did anyone else have access to the information besides you two?" He pointed at Olivia and Elliot. 

"Well we briefed you guys on it. Someone could've overheard," Olivia offered. 

"Okay. There's no way to fix this now, but please be more careful in the future. There were about a million reasons we didn't want this in the press." He was pissed, so they all nodded understandingly and exited the office before talking. 

"Well, this is peachy," Munch commented sarcastically. 

"All the more reason to catch this hump," stated Elliot. 

"Maybe it's better this way," Olivia began, "People know he's out there. He might mess up." 

"No. No way. That fibres thing was the only lead we had. Now he knows we know, he'll ditch it," Fin said. Olivia nodded. 

"I guess," she said. Her phone rang. "Benson." The guys turned back to the chalkboard, where a list of evidence was posted. 

"So our perp knocks her out in the office. Why does he go all the way to Brooklyn before he rapes her?" Fin posed. 

"To throw us off?" Munch said. He sat down in his chair and put his feet on his desk.. 

"Or he can't get it up at her office. Has to go to Brooklyn. Maybe he has memories associated with it," Elliot surmised, putting his hands on his hips and leaning stiffly against the wall.. 

"Hey, we've got the doc, we don't need you spouting off psychological ramblings," Munch interjected. 

"It doesn't matter why," said Olivia loudly, then checked her voice and walked over to them. "A woman said she saw her neighbour dump an orange jacket in the dumpster. He matches the description of our perp," she informed. 

"Let's go," Elliot said, grabbing his coat. 

************* 

The jacket matched, and they hoped that the DNA they collected would, too. Cragen seemed to have forgotten that morning's crisis, and the city was pleased once again by the hard-working NYPD. 

"Got any plans for tonight?" Elliot asked Olivia when they returned to the precinct. They were just finishing up the preliminary reports. It was seven o'clock. 

"Yeah. I was planning on eating leftovers and watching sad movies on TV," she stated half-jokingly. 

"Oh. Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to get something to eat, but since you have plans...." He grinned, carrying on the joke. 

"I'd love to, but you've hardly been home in the last week. It's okay if you want to go," she offered. He looked at her, slightly confused. 

"I'm glad you're concerned about my home life, Liv, but I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to go." He wondered why she always insisted that he go home to Kathy. Even when she had been stalked by that freak Eric Plummer. All he had wanted was to make sure she was safe, but she refused his invitation to his house for dinner. And then there was the time when he had been stressing out over Kathy and he had made the big mistake of telling Olivia. He wanted her to say, "Leave her. She's killing you." Instead, she had told he that he couldn't screw the relationship up because it was "the best thing he'd ever had." He didn't know that it was the hardest thing she'd ever had to say to him. That was another thing about being Elliot's partner: saying things you didn't mean. "Okay then. Just let me finish up here," Olivia answered. Elliot nodded and began to pack up. 

********** 

After dinner, Elliot escorted Olivia back to her apartment so he could get a file for work. She pulled her hand off the doorknob abruptly and looked at it. 

"Ew, it's all sticky," she said, disgusted. She turned it with the tips of her fingers and let Elliot in. She called out from the washroom as she washed her hands, "Make yourself at home! I'll be out in a second." Elliot looked around the small suite. He had only been there a couple of times. It was fairly clean and functional but he guessed the rooms he couldn't see were probably messier. He sat down on a chair and leaned back. She emerged from the washroom and pulled a key out of her pocket. She opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet and pulled out a folder, handing it to him. 

"There you go." She led him to the door, where he stood awkwardly. No gesture seemed appropriate. Hugs and kisses were too mushy and too personal. A handshake wasn't personal enough. He gave her a limp wave. 

"Bye." 

"See ya." She shut the door. 

********** 

The woman called the police at 2:04am. By 2:30, Olivia was at the crime scene, a park by the pier. The officers were swarming, blocking off the area. She glanced at her watch. It would take Elliot another twenty minutes to get there, give or take. She didn't see what harm it would do to start without him. 

"What happened here?" she asked a uniform who was bagging evidence. She wished she had worn sneakers; the park was a mess of mud. 

"Rape. The victim says she managed to escape to the docks to call us. I didn't question her further," he began. 

"Where is she now?" Olivia interrupted. 

"In my patrol car, trying to calm down. Do you want me to take her to get her rape kit?" he asked. Olivia nodded. 

"I'll come with you." She pulled over another officer. "When my partner, Detective Stabler, gets here, will you tell him I'm at the hospital with the victim?" 

******** 

The woman's name was Arlene Hanson. She refused to talk on the way to the hospital, pursing her lips obstinately while attempting to control the sobs that shuddered through her body. She had long black hair and was clutching a torn dress around her willowy form. Olivia gave her her long, beige trenchcoat and she took it without a word, but she took Olivia's hand and held it tightly between hers as if to make sure it was real. 

After the kit was done, a nurse escorted Olivia into a small room where Arlene was sitting on a hospital bed. 

"Your coat is on the chair, Detective," said Arlene. It startled Olivia. Arlene's voice sounded too high-pitched. It didn't match her appearance. Olivia took a moment to retrieve the coat before responding. 

"Thank you. Can you tell me what happened to you?" Arlene nodded hesitantly. 

"I was driving back from work. I was on the night shift. Anyway, I got a flat tire so I managed to pull over by the park and I got out to change it. Next thing I know, this guy grabs me, pushes me down, tears off my dress and starts raping me. I started to scream and he slapped me. So I reached over and grabbed one of the tools. You know, the one that unscrews the tire? And I whammed it into his head and ran off to the docks. I hid, and when he was gone, I called." 

"Did you get a good look at him?" Arlene nodded. 

************ 

"About 6'2'', 200 lbs, white with red hair, wearing a black shirt with the embroidery "Marty" and blue jeans. He was mostly bald and he's got a tattoo of a skull on his hip," Olivia explained to Elliot as they left the hospital. 

"Better than usual, but we won't be able to ID him unless we get him in a lineup." 

"Or a DNA test. Get anything else from the crime scene?" He shook his head. 

"Her car was gone. Perp could've taken it. We couldn't find any tools lying around, either. So if she hit him with something, his DNA's gone. How was the rape kit?" 

"We got semen that we'll run through the database tomorrow. She had bruising on the thighs and arms where he held her." Elliot said nothing. "Say, I think I'll go home and get changed. Meet you at the precinct. Let's get Arlene in to do a sketch." She looked up at his face and noticed that he was really strung out. "You all right?" she added. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. 

"Yeah. No sleep," he answered. She didn't believe his explanation. 

"Elliot, you know, if you need anything...." He nodded and patted her on the shoulder clumsily. 

"Thanks, Liv." She paused a moment before leaving, searching his face. Then she turned and left. 

******* 

Arlene waas scheduled to come in at three that afternoon to describe the perp and the tattoo to the sketch artist. When she didn't show by 3:30, Fin and Munch went over to her place to check on her. Olivia and Elliot were still sitting at their desks when the other detectives returned. They looked like they 'd been hit by a bus. 

"What happened?" Elliot asked. 

"You mean the Captain hasn't told you yet?" They glanced to Cragen's door, which opened as if on command. He was followed by one of the Sergeants from the I.A.B. Olivia and Elliot wondered how he could've come in without them noticing. Cragen's face was cloudy, as if he had just lost a fight. 

"Elliot Stabler? Olivia Benson?" inquired the Sergeant. "I'm Sgt. Blanchard. I'm officially informing you that you are under investigation by the I.A.B. for these leaks to the press. During this time, you are suspended from duty. May I have your badges and service revolvers please?" They just looked at him incredulously. Finally, Elliot spoke angrily. 

"Pardon?" 

"Your badges and service revolvers. And I would ask you to vacate the building as soon as possible." It didn't make sense to Olivia. She passed him what he asked for, glancing at Cragen, who wasn't doing anything but standing there, looking defeated. Sgt. Blanchard nodded at him and departed, tucking his new possessions into a bag. Elliot clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at the Sargeant's back. 

"Leaks? Plural?" Olivia began, furrowing her brow. 

"Arlene Hanson is dead," Cragen stated stiffly. She blanched, remembering Arlene's black hair and imagining her lying in a pool of blood. She could still feel her hand clutching hers in the patrol car. 

"What? How?" Elliot said. Cragen slapped a piece of paper on the desk between them. It was a print-off from a news website. 

"This has the description of the perp. He was probably afraid she'd ID him," Elliot began. 

"So who did it?" Fin asked. 

"Not me," Elliot denied at the same time as Olivia said, "Neither of us!" She looked at him, puzzled. 

"I didn't think so," Munch said, "Look, we're going to find out what's going on." She was shaking her head, only half-understanding. She felt her stomach lurch and ran to the bathroom. Then she threw up. God, she hadn't thrown up on the job since her first crime scene. She washed out her mouth and went back into the squadroom, face pale. 

"You okay?" Elliot asked. 

"Yeah. I guess. I should go home," she said, speaking it to make sure it was true. She had to leave. 

"I'll come. We should figure out how this happened. Get this cleared up," Elliot said. But she shook her head. 

"No. Come over tomorrow morning. I need to be alone, I think," she said. She turned back halfway to the door, "How did she....?" 

"Shot in the head. It was quick. She didn't suffer long," Munch reassured. Olivia swallowed, taking in the information. 

*********** 

Kathy had heard the news before Elliot got home, probably from Cragen, but it was sort of a relief to not have to repeat it. She was waiting at the door for him in a nightgown and she wrapped him in a consoling hug as soon as he walked in. He bent over her and buried his face in her hair, breathing it in. At that point he realized, he felt nothing. The smell of her hair used to make him happy, but it didn't do anything now. He pulled back and she kissed him full on the mouth, passionately. He was not in the mood for this. 

"Kath....," he began, pulling his mouth away. 

"What?" She said innocently. "I took the kids to my parents'." He didn't say anything, just headed to the living room. "Do you want to talk about it?" She tried again. He didn't. He really didn't, but he thought he'd rather talk about it than pretend to be excited about the prospect of sex with her. 

"Okay," he exhaled slowly. "I don't know where to start......it's ridiculous. They've got nothing on us.....on me." 

"I know. They'll have to admit they made a mistake. _You_ didn't do anything wrong," implying with her voice that Olivia had. Elliot shut down as soon as she took that tone and rested his head in his hands. She sat down next to him on the couch and put an arm around his shoulder. 

"We just need to prove that we're innocent in this," he used the 'we' purposefully, to show her that he wasn't about to abandon his partner. She'd just have to accept that. 

"Okay......okay," she said, rubbing his back in circular motions. She stood up and smiled weakly, "Do you want some coffee or something?," she offered. 

"No thanks. I'm going to turn in," he answered, trying to project a weariness that would make him unfit to do much other than sleep. Kathy followed him upstairs and crawled into bed. When he joined her, she tried to wrap her arms around him, but he shrugged her off, thinking about Olivia, lying alone and awake in bed in her apartment across the river. 

********* 


	2. Chapter 2

Here's Chapter Two. Please read and review! Thanks to you who have reviewed so far. 

*********** 

He arrived at Olivia's apartment and buzzed her on the intercomm at 8:30. Her voice came through with a bleary, "Who is it?" 

"It's me. Elliot," he clarified. 

"Jesus," she said, buzzing him up. When he got to the door and knocked, she called out for him to wait a second. She opened the door minutes later, still in her pyjamas. Her eyes were full and her pupils were dilated from the dark apartment. Her skin was slightly pale and she looked generally awful. She ushered him in and he sat at her desk while she had a shower and got dressed. She came out and pulled up a chair across from him. 

"So," he began, "Where do we start?" 

"I suppose we could take a look in the classifieds," she said. He didn't get it. 

"Huh?" 

"Help Wanted, experience in law enforcement required, no ethics necessary...." Elliot was surprised. 

"You really think we'll get the boot?" 

"It's my third major investigation by I.A.B., your second investigation as far as I know. What am I supposed to think?" He wanted to shake her. She wasn't supposed to be discouraged, it was unlike her. They'd get through this. They had to. 

"We didn't do anything wrong. Now, we just have to prove it," he said finally. 

"Okay," she exhaled, "Then let's start with who else had that information. You, me, maybe a nurse or an officer at the scene heard the story.". 

"Let's go down to the paper. Maybe we can scare them into giving up a source," he said. 

"You don't think journalists know their rights?," she said incredulously. 

"We're not on police business," he said, knowing it probably didn't make a difference. 

"Worth a try, I guess." 

********** 

"You must think I'm some kind of idiot," exclaimed Peter McCauley, the internet editor of The Post. 

"Why is that?" Elliot asked, leaning back in the guest chair of McCauley's office as if he had all the time in the world to listen to the explanation. 

"I don't have to divulge my sources. Priveledge of the Fourth Estate. And you should really keep up with your friends. I might have enough for an article of the inefficiencies of the NYPD." 

"What do you mean?" Elliot inquired. 

"Two guys were here from IAB this morning. I told them who the source was, but that's 'cause they had a subpoena and they assured me it was only for inter-departmental affairs," McCauley insisted. 

"Mr. McCauley, do you know we can charge you with obstruction?" Olivia lied through her teeth. 

"You won't get me on that, Detective......what did you say your name was?" 

"Olivia Benson," she stated. He stared at her. 

"Can I see I.D?" He asked. She handed him her driver's liscense in absence of her badge, shaking her head at his tactics for stalling. "Yes, I told them it was you," he said, handing back the card. 

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked. 

"And I want to thank you for standing up for freedom of the press. I don't believe the NYPD should be able to cover its tracks whenever it wants." Elliot held up a hand. 

"What are you saying?" Peter McCauley glanced at Elliot, then turned back to Olivia. 

"You were my source, but you sounded way different on the phone." 

*********** 

She couldn't understand it. She had never talked to McCauley in her life. Her head was swimming in confusion. She felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back and she gasped. 

"Damnit, Olivia! You nearly walked right into traffic," Elliot said, not letting her go. She looked down and realized her foot was on the very edge of the curb. He turned her to face him. 

"I didn't do it," she said, shaking. He wrapped his arms around her instinctively. 

"I know. I'm on your side," he said. She hugged him back, closing her eyes. After a minute, she pulled away and forced a smile. 

"I'm okay," she lied. He nodded. 

"Low blood sugar, probably. Let's go for lunch." 

********* 

The union representative called Elliot while he was in the car, picking up some things from his home to drop off at the precinct. Olivia had gone to the gym to de-stress but was supposed to meet him later again. The Rep introduced him. 

"Murray Coell. I've been apprised of your case," he began. 

"Yes? What do you think?" 

"I'd like to meet with you later to discuss it. How's seven o'clock?" He said. 

"Well, I'm meeting Olivia at seven, so I know she's free," he said. There was a long pause. 

"Olivia Benson?" Another pause. "I'm not representing her, and I would advise that you avoid contact with her until this is sorted out." 

"What?!" 

"Detective Benson's ship is sinking. You know, they've connected her with the leaks definitely. All that's left is for them to prove that she called the paper on her phone," Murray Coell explained. Elliot grew defensive. 

"They won't find that. She didn't leak it. And as far as not contacting her, I won't do it," he insisted. 

"With all due respect, Elliot, either you jump into a lifeboat now, or you're headed up the creek without a paddle," Coell explained. 

"Hmm. Well I'll see you at seven at my precinct. Looks like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place." He hung up angrily. 

Kathy was waiting for him. 

"Hi, Sweetie," she greeted. He kissed her dutifully on the ckeek and her smile faded. 

"I'm just picking up some folders to bring back to the office," he said. 

"Oh, so when will you be back?" 

"I'm meeting with my union rep at seven, then I'm meeting Olivia again. Maybe I'll just stay in the city tonight." She nodded cursorily. He didn't speak to her further as he got the files. He only waved goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway. 

Kathy thought about it for a while after he left. She eventually decided that Olivia was a bigger threat to their relationship than his job. She was sure she could tolerate his being away all day if she knew he wasn't away all day with her. 

******** 

"Olivia? It's me," he began. 

"Oh. Hi." 

"Listen, can we meet later? I have to meet with my union rep at seven. I can come over as soon as I'm done." 

"Sure. Do you know why we have different union reps?" It was a loaded question, and he didn't know how to answer it. 

"No idea." She didn't say anything. "I'm not going to hop a lifeboat," he added. 

"Huh?" 

"Nothing. See you later." 

********* 

She brought her files in to the precinct at seven, since Elliot was busy. She hadn't realized he'd be there with his union rep, but when she glanced to the interview room, she saw them. Elliot's back was to her, but Coell gave her a glare that startled her. She turned to Munch and Fin and tried to avoid the sight of her empty desk. They tried to distract her by pretending nothing was wrong. 

"We had this girl in here today. Remember Lynne Stevens?" Munch said. 

"Wow. Yeah. What brings her back?" Olivia asked, eyes straying back to the interview room. 

"She was raped. Again," Fin stated. 

"I thought we arrested her boyfriend and he got ten to twenty-five." 

"Different perp," Fin explained. 

"What are the chances?" She mused. Suddenly she felt like crying. She wanted to find out what the chances were, to catch this new perp. She had spent her whole life learning to be a cop. Munch saw her face and added, "She was upset that you weren't here. When you come back, you can have the case." 

"You'll probably solve it before that happens," she forced out. 

"You didn't do anything. I don't care what they dig up, there's gotta be an explanation," Fin reassured. She smiled weakly. 

"Thanks, guys." 

"We're done for tonight. Want to go get a drink?" Munch offered. 

"Sure, but I'm supposed to meet Elliot," she said. 

"We'll wait for him," Fin said. So they sat down and chatted about trivial matters, Olivia with her back to the interview room. 

********** 

Murray Coell laid it all out for Elliot. Chances were, they wouldn't put him back on the job until they could prove that he wasn't involved, but it was looking like Olivia had done it without his help. 

"They found it, you know," Coell said. 

"They found what?" Elliot asked. 

"They pulled her phone logs. She's been calling the press a few times a week," he stated, somewhat happily. 

"No, that means _someone_ has been calling the press from her phone," Elliot insisted. It looked pretty bad, though. 

"That's up to her representative to prove. Did you know they're looking at a criminal charge?" Coell said off-handedly. 

"For what? Negligence?" Elliot asked, apprehensive. 

"Manslaughter." 

Elliot stood up from the table, stating "We're done here." 

"Sit down," Coell demanded. 

"No. I intend to request a different representative," Elliot informed. 

"Good luck." He opened the door of the interview room and stormed past the other detectives. Elliot followed, rubbing his eyes. He saw came up behind Olivia and put his hands on her shoulders. Munch raised his eyebrows. 

"Hey," she said. 

"Hey. I didn't know you were here." 

"Yeah. We're going out for a drink. Wanna come?" She broached. 

"Sure." 

*********** 


	3. Chapter 3

Olivia's head was beginning to pound, but she suspected it was from the loud music of the bar rather than the single beer she'd consumed. It was a cop bar, and she felt the patrons' eyes boring into her with malevolance for the way she'd hurt their reputation. She sat around a table with the guys, trying to keep the conversation to trivial matters. 

"Have you noticed how rainy it's been lately?," she said casually. 

"Typical for this time of year. Being spring," Munch replied. 

"It was just an observation." This led to another long pause. Fin motioned for another round of beers, but Olivia held her hand up to refuse. Finally, Munch brought up what they had been dying to ask. 

"So, when can we expect you guys back at work?" He phrased it optimistically, unlike him Olivia laughed sardonically. 

"My union representative took me out for dinner tonight. Trying to give me a last meal," she said sarcastically. 

"What have they got on you?" Fin asked. She shook her head. 

"Well, the Post's informant was using my name," she said. Elliot glanced up sharply. She still didn't know about the phone calls from her phone. She didn't know about the criminal charges. 

"So what? It could've been anyone in the department," Munch said, "We were all talking about the Hanson case. Anyone could've overheard." 

"Not officially. And that's all they care about. Even _I_ didn't have access to the official information," Elliot said without thinking. Olivia looked at him, her face quickly draining of colour. 

"You didn't?" she said. She realized the same thing they all did, that if he told that to the I.A.B., he would be reinstated and she would be booted. There was uncomfortable silence. 

"I wouldn't tell them that," he responded, "I'm on your side. Either they bring back both of us, or neither of us." She smiled wanly. 

"I appreciate that," she said. 

"Look, we won't say anything, either. We know you didn't do anything," Fin said, looking at Olivia now. "But we've got to work tomorrow and I think I'd better go home." Munch nodded his agreement. Elliot stood up as they left and wobbled slightly getting off the stool. Olivia looked at him. 

"I'll drive you home," she offered, noting that he had drank a bit too much. 

"I told Kathy I'd stay in town. Besides, it's too far out of your way," he said. 

"Oh. Okay. You can sleep on my couch," she said, not wanting him to be with her when she felt like this - so vulnerable. He followed her retreating form out into the rainy night. 

*********** 

Olivia opened the door and didn't turn back to show Elliot in. He shut the door behind him. She sat down in a chair across from the window in the dark sitting area and leaned back, steepling her fingers. He understood that she was staying up in case he needed anything. He stood awkwardly, head foggy from the alcohol, and looked at her. Her eyes worried him, the way they were filled with pain. A few tears slid down her cheeks, reflecting the rain falling outside. 

The words slipped out before the meaning reached his brain. 

"You are so beautiful," he said. She stood up slowly and approached him. Then she took one hand and, taking his head, pulled his mouth down to meet hers. All he felt was a rush of warmth and excitement all the way to his fingertips. 

*********** 

Submersed in her own feelings, she had forgotten that he was drunk and she was emotionally unstable. When she touched her lips to his, she also forgot that he was her partner, that he was married, that he was _Elliot_..... 

She stared at him with fierce determination. He grabbed her and he kissed her back hard, smashing her lips against her teeth as he pushed her down on her couch. She pulled back slightly and met his eyes. He was solid and warm and sweet and confident, and she wanted him so much that her breath went. She _needed _this. 

She shuddered as he eased his hand up under her breast and made it swell and harden. His lips moved down her throat and she sighed against him, drawing deep breaths and every breath made her want him more, and when his hand finally moved hard over her breast, now tender with heat, she moaned and pulled him as tightly to her as she could. 

The weight of his hand made her catch breath as he unbuttoned her shirt. She arched back on the sofa as he fumbled with his belt, so alive and needing him so much that she couldn't lie still beneath him. Then he slid his hands up her sides and she clenched her teeth as he pulled her up to him, removing her shirt and bra. She fell against him and felt the roughness of his shirt against her breasts. Then she undid her pants and crawled out of them. He pulled her panties down and pushed over her again. It felt wonderful, but she needed him naked, too. She unbuttoned his shirt hastily and yanked it off him. 

"Hold on," he said, and still holding her to him, he slid his hand between her legs, and his fingers felt so impossibly good that she cried out. He pressed her down on the couch, and she wrapped herself around him as his mouth found her breast, and he sucked hard while he stroked her. 

She groped for a condom in her bag, which was nearby. She handed it to him. 

He spread her thighs with his and she arched up at the shock as he went hard into her. It was primal and irrational and instinctive. 

She pressed her face to his as his body rocked against hers, barely realizing he was kissing her as she gave herself up to the rhythm and mesmerizing friction of him in her. His hands and lips were everywhere and she could feel her blood pound and swell in her temples and her breasts and her fingertips, and finally, hotly, deeper inside her, tighter, until she broke and came hard, crying out as she felt the spasms take her. Elliot came shortly after, collapsing on top of her. 

*********** 

Minutes later, she realized what she had done. 

"Oh God," she moaned quietly. She pried herself out from under him and pulled clothing back on in a haze. "Oh God," she repeated in a whisper. She felt nausea sweep over her and turned back to look at Elliot. It was dark, so she couldn't make out the expression on his face, but he was picking up his clothes automatically. She couldn't find her bra, so she just pulled on a shirt, buttoning it clumsily. Tears blurred her vision as she left the apartment, slamming the door on what had just taken place. She didn't know where she was going. Somehow, she found herself in her car, pulling out of the parking garage. To drown out her thoughts, she turned up the radio to full blast so the music shook the car. It had all been one huge mistake. 

************ 

Elliot's thoughts were beginning to come back to him, but he was having trouble processing the meanings. He was half-dressed, but he couldn't find his shirt. He turned on the light and looked around. Olivia's shirt was crumpled on the floor, which meant, oh shit, she must've put on his shirt by accident in the dark. Who knew when she'd be back? He had to get out of there, but he couldn't go back to Kathy without a shirt. There was another shirt in his car, which was still parked at the bar, so he called for a taxi and pulled on his coat, hoping no one would notice his lack of a shirt. 

********** 

Kathy had been asleep, but she awoke when Elliot came in. She came downstairs, rubbing her eyes, "Is that you?" She squinted into the darkness. 

"Yes. Go back to sleep," he said. 

"What's going on?" Kathy whispered angrily. 

"I was staying at John's place, but he got called in about half an hour ago and woke me up, so I thought I'd come back here." It was a lie, but Hell, he had just made their entire marriage a lie. She moved to approach him, but he stepped back, afraid she would smell him and know. "I need a shower. Munch's place is a dump," he joked, "I'll try to be quiet." He could see her nod and head upstairs. He took off his coat and went into the bathroom. He had the time in the shower to think about what he was going to do. Eventually, he'd have to tell Kathy, but it didn't have to be now. She didn't need to know yet. 

She was sitting on the edge of their bed when he came back in, wearing a bathrobe. 

"I found out something interesting today, Elliot," she said. He could hear the excitement in her voice. He nodded, which caused a thumping pain in his head. "There's no way they can prove that you had access to the Hanson file - the information about the guy who did it. You never had it written down on anything, right?" She said. 

"Yes, but I knew about it," he said. 

"So? They can't prove it. You need to tell them you didn't know about it, Elliot," she said persuasively. 

"No. Kathy, that would be a lie. Besides......," he trailed off. 

"Besides?" 

"Well, that would incriminate Olivia," he said quickly. Saying Olivia's name made his chest hurt. She had been upset and he had taken advantage of the opportunity. He felt like a real jerk for cheating the only women he'd ever loved. 

"Maybe she did it," Kathy mused. Elliot stood up. 

"She didn't do it. I know her. She wouldn't do it. I won't tell them I didn't know the information." His voice was firm. Kathy sighed. 

"Okay," she said defeatedly. 

"I'll sleep downstairs," Elliot offered, noting that they both didn't seem inclined towards the bed. 

"Don't bother. I will," she answered. He nodded. He didn't want to argue again. 

He heard her go downstairs. A few minutes later, he heard her talking, and realized she was talking on the phone. He couldn't make out any words, and he figured she was probably calling one of her friends to gripe about him. Their bed felt funny for some reason, so Elliot pulled up a blanket and slept on the bedroom floor. 

********** 

Olivia pulled into the parking garage of her apartment, her short-term anxiety appeased by the loud music and fast driving. She turned off the engine, pulled out the key, and stepped out of the car. She slammed the door, then felt a strong pair of hands slam her forward against her car, pinning her hands behind her back. 

"Olivia Benson?" She felt the handcuffs around her wrists. "You're under arrest for manslaughter." 

"Manslaughter?" She interrupted. He didn't answer. 

"You have the right to remain silent....." She recognized the officer's voice, but she couldn't see his face. He yanked her backwards as he finished reading her her rights and led her to his squad car. Before he closed the door on her, the minimal light from the parking garage shone down on her. She looked down and began to cry - she was wearing Elliot's shirt. 

********** 


	4. Chapter 4

Kathleen turned on the radio during breakfast the next morning. 

"Turn that off," Elliot admonished. His head was aching from his hangover. 

"But I need a current event for school," she whined. 

"Read the paper," Elliot advised, standing up to turn off the radio, but he heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks. 

"Police last night arrested their own Detective Olivia Benson on charges of manslaughter...." 

No one moved. Kathy turned white as Kathleen came back in with the newspaper. 

"Hey, Dad," she said, flopping the paper on the table. Underneath the headline was a picture of Olivia taken from an older article. The phone rang and Elliot snatched it up. 

"Elliot, it's Murray Coell here. Congratulations." 

"What the Hell do you mean?" His voice was angry, and Kathy motioned to her children to leave the room. 

"You've been reinstated," Coell began, "You can report back to work whenever you'd like. Looks like what goes around comes around," his voice was triumphant. 

"What about Olivia?" He demanded. 

"Oh, yes. Well, she won't find out that you flipped on her, if that's what you're worried about. Very clever of you, getting your wife to call in." Elliot turned to Kathy, who was standing in the doorway. She looked away. He slammed the receiver down. The radio continued. 

"Detective Benson was arraigned this morning and will stand trial late this week." Elliot switched it off. 

"I'm going into the city. I'll speak with you later." His tone indicated that there was no room for discussion. 

Elliot stopped at the precinct for information. 

"Welcome back," Cragen greeted flatly. He didn't look Elliot in the eye. 

"Is she out?" Elliot asked. 

"No," answered Munch shortly. 

"I'm going down to Rikers," Elliot informed. 

"Guilty conscience?" Munch said. 

"What are you saying?" 

"You sold out your own partner. Whatever happened to loyalty?" Fin asked. 

"I didn't....." Elliot began. 

"Save it," Cragen interrupted. Elliot exhaled in a sigh. 

"How much is bail?" He asked resignedly. 

"One hundred-and-fifty thousand. We're collecting donations," Cragen said, pointing to a jar on Munch's desk. Elliot pulled out his wallet and dropped in a hundred-dollar bill before leaving. 

********** 

Her lawyer sat across the table from her. He was a slick looking young guy named Stephen Miller. He wasn't the best, but he was the best that she could afford. 

"Why haven't you posted bail?" He asked. 

"I can't afford it. I have no job, I have an apartment in Manhattan...." 

"It just looks like you've given up, like you're guilty. Not a good signal to send out there," he said. She wanted to tell him to shove it, but he was all she had left. She had lost her family, her job, and Elliot. 

"I'll worry about that, thanks," she said bitterly. A guard knocked on the door before entering. 

"There's an Elliot Stabler here to see you," the guard said, ushering him in. Olivia's throat knotted at the sight of him and she looked down at her hands. 

"I need to prep my client," Miller said. 

"Later," she said firmly. 

"Yes, later. She'll see you later..." Miller began. 

"No, I meant prep me later. I'll talk to you later, Mr. Miller." 

"I'll remain here, if you don't mind," he tried again. 

"As a matter of fact, I do mind. Come back later. I'm not going anywhere," she objected. 

"All right. But I advise against this." He pushed past Elliot on his way out. The guard shut the door behind him. 

Elliot sat down at the table and looked across at his partner. She was wearing standard grey prison uni's, but he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked, even with the obvious lack of sleep. 

"Look, Elliot," she began, "What happened was all a big mistake...." 

"Olivia......" 

"No, let me finish," she said. He shut up. "And you don't need to apologize. I understand you have your family to think of. If I was in your position, I might have done the same thing. It's my fault. I was careless........." 

"Olivia, for God's sake, this isn't your fault," he took her hand across the table and she didn't pull away, though her eyes began to brim with tears again. 

"Did you tell Kathy?" She asked, finally looking at him. 

"No. But I'm going to. I'm going to divorce her, Olivia," he said firmly. He hadn't thought about it before, but the minute he said it, he knew it was what he had to do. 

"Why?" She asked. 

"It hasn't been working for a long time, 'Liv. You know that. And, well, honestly, I'm in love with you." It slipped out, and he wondered if last night's alcohol had really worn off. She looked at him and her eyes were filled with shock and guilt and hope. 

"What?" She had to hear it again. 

"I love you," he said it, and it filled the grey box of a room. She couldn't speak, so he continued. "I'm going to find out a way to get you out of here. I promise." The only thing was, he wasn't sure he could. 

*********** 

Sorry about the short-ness. Between school and work.........you understand. Please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

All non-SVU characters are from my imagination. Even the ones that are named after various city councillors and MLA's. No resemblance to their namesakes is intentional. 

All SVU characters are DickWolf's. 

********** 

Elliot drove home to speak to his wife. He planned it in his head. 

"I want a divorce." 

"Would you allow me to have a divorce, please?" 

"Kindly let me divorce you." 

Any way you put it, it still hurt. 

Turns out he didn't have to worry about the wording. On the kitchen table were divorce papers, already signed by Kathy. There was also a note. 

_Gone to my mother's. Please be out of here by tomorrow. My lawyer will be talking to yours._

Underneath was another newspaper - the Post, ironically - featuring a full-colour picture of Olivia at her arraignment, wearing Elliot's shirt, one that Kathy had picked out for him. 

It took him an hour to pack his clothing and a few other necessities. It took him another hour to finish with his lawyer and to call some friends, pulling some strings to get an apartment for the next month or so. Furniture could wait to be sorted out. All that mattered was that he leave. He set the alarm and locked the door before he left. As he pulled the key out of the lock, a thought jolted through his mind. A sticky doorknob. He whipped out his cell phone. 

"Fin? It's Elliot. Find out if Olivia had her locks changed recently......and get latent on her phone, her files, her whole apartment if you have to. 

********** 

Olivia was lying on the hard cell bed, staring at the ceiling. She could still smell Elliot on her skin, feel traces of his hands, hear him saying he loved her, that he was going to divorce Kathy. She wanted to believe it. 

But he had lied before. He had saved his own ass and turned her in. She didn't know what to think. But she wanted to touch him again. She wanted to feel safe. 

"Someone here to see you," the voice of the guard announced through the door. Kathy Stabler stepped into the cell. It was cold and she wondered how people could live like this. Olivia stood up quickly when she was her visitor. 

"Kathy," she said obviously. Kathy looked down at Olivia and wondered what Elliot had ever seen in her. 

"I don't know why I'm here," Kathy said. It wasn't entirely true. She had to get something off her chest. Olivia stood still. "I guess I should tell you that it's my fault you're here. Elliot wouldn't incriminate you, so I did it." There was no apology in her voice. 

"Why?" Olivia whispered. 

"He really does love you, that jerk," Kathy said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Olivia nodded calmly, something inside her jumping for joy knowing that Elliot hadn't lied to her. 

"Thank you for telling me," Olivia said sincerely. Kathy nodded, feeling sorry for herself and her collapsed state. Her life had been slowly unravelling for quite a while, but now she was out of string. She turned around and left the cell. 

Olivia sat down and put her head in her hands. 

********** 

Jeff Bray, the proprietor of Bray's Locks, was eating a donut and watching figure skating on a small television behind the counter when Elliot entered. 

"Shhh!" Bray hissed, "It's Sasha Cohen! If she lands this next triple, she'll win the Lalique!" 

"Jeff Bray?" Elliot asked, shoving his badge between the little man's face and the TV screen. Bray blinked a couple of times in disbelief, then shut off the TV hastily. 

"I'm sorry," he said. 

"I'm Detective Elliot Stabler. I need to know if you changed the locks on Olivia Benson's apartment about two months ago." He was so close, he could feel it. 

"Let me check," Bray said, pulling out the top drawer of a filing cabinet. "Baxter, Becker, Bellvue. Here we are. Benson. What was the first name again?" 

"Olivia," Elliot stated irritably. 

"Right. Yes. We did that job," he said. 

"May I see the work order?" Bray passed over the slip of paper. 

"Can I talk with the guy who did this job? Donald McRae?" Bray nodded. 

"Don? He's on a job right now. I'll give you the address." 

********** 

Elliot found Donald McRae opening a locked antique trunk in an eclectic shop in SoHo. He had spiky black hair and glasses and looked in his mid-thirties. 

"Don McRae? Can I speak with you for a minute?" Elliot said, flashing his shield. McRae glanced up, then broke into a run, knocking over a shelf of porcelain cups. Elliot chased him, catching up a block away. He grabbed McRae by the back of the shirt and slammed him against the wall. 

"Not smart, Don. You're under arrest," said Elliot, catching his breath and snapping the cuffs on him. 

********** 

"Look, I didn't break into no one's place!" McRae insisted. 

"Oh yeah? Then why'd you run?" Munch asked, leaning over the table and glaring at McRae. Elliot stood outside the interrogation room with Cragen, watching. 

"He did this, Captain. I can tell," he said, crossing his arms. He was going to get this sonofabitch for hurting Olivia. Cragen only raised his eyebrows. 

"I don't know! I saw the police and I thought I was in trouble, okay? It was stupid," McRae insisted. 

"Yeah, you're right," Fin said. 

An intern approached them briskly. 

"Captain, this just came in," she said, handing him a file. Elliot glanced over. 

"What is it?" 

"Did you send this guy's prints down to the lab?" 

"Yeah. He had them done for a background check when he was hired," Elliot said, "Why?" 

"We got a lot of unexplained fresh prints from Olivia's place, but they don't match his. Pull his phone logs," Cragen said, a smile pulling at his lips. "Let's hold Mr. McRae here for a bit longer." Elliot nodded. 

********** 

"What have you got?" Cragen asked later. 

"Looks like McRae made several phone calls to a Mrs. Deverell," Elliot said. 

"Is she married to the author, William Deverell?" Munch asked. 

"No, but she _is _Olivia's next-door neighbour," Elliot said triumphantly. 

"Good, I never liked his books." 

"So McRae makes the extra keys, sells them to the neighbour. The neighbour waits until Olivia leaves, then breaks in and calls the Post from her apartment...." Fin said, laying it out. Elliot nodded in agreement, leaning up against his desk and crossing his arms. 

"I've got Alex coming down here," he said. As if on cue, Alex Cabot strode through the squadroom doors. 

"Here's a search warrant," she said, "But only for the keys and any confidential files. You have to prove that she had access to the apartment. If you find ones that match, pick her up," Alex said. She handed the files to Cragen, who handed them to Elliot. 

"Thanks," he said, then to Munch and Fin, "Which one of you wants to come?" 

"I'll stay," Munch offered. 

********** 

Elliot and Fin rang the superintendant at Olivia's building to be let in. The super rode the elevator up with them. 

"If Mrs. Deverell isn't home, I guess I'll have to let you in. But I didn't see her go out yet," he said. As they passed Olivia's apartment, Elliot couldn't help remembering the night before, but he pushed it from his mind. 

They knocked on the door. 

"Police! Open up!" Fin said, holding his badge in front of the eyehole. They heard the door being unlocked and it opened to reveal Olivia's next-door neighbour, wearing a bathrobe. Her hair was wet and it looked like she'd just come out of the shower. 

"What's this about?" She asked, but the look in her eyes communicated that she already knew. 

"This is a search warrant. Excuse us, please," Elliot said, giving Ms. Deverell the paper. Fin shoved past her into the apartment. The lay-out was a mirror image of Olivia's apartment, but the decor was much blander; beige and white. They began going through drawers, bagging all the keys in sight. 

"What are you looking for?"she asked. 

"Maybe you can tell us. Do you know Olivia Benson?" Fin asked. 

"Yes. She's my neighbour, but we aren't friends or anything." 

"Ever been in her apartment?" 

"No," she said. 

"You're absolutely sure?" Elliot asked. 

"Yes. I've only seen her in the hall." 

"That's good, because we can check the fingerprints we pulled off her door and her phone with yours. And if we find out you've been there, you're in a whole lot of trouble," Fin said. 

"I think I should call my lawyer," she said. 

"Go ahead and do that," Elliot said. He turned to Fin, "I'll take these keys next door and see if they fit the lock." Fin nodded. Elliot pulled the first key out and tried it. No luck. He tossed it on the ground. 

*********** 

"Any luck?" Fin asked. The pile of keys on the floor was getting larger and Elliot punched the door in frustration. "I guess not." 

Elliot picked up another key. They both heard the lock clunk and the door swung open into Olivia's apartment. 

"Who's with Ms. Deverell?" Elliot asked. 

"A uniform," Fin replied. 

"Pick her up." 

"Oh, try these," Fin said, handing Elliot a few more keys. 

"What for? These are too small for a door, anyway," Elliot said. 

"Not a door. She said her filing cabinet was locked." Elliot stepped inside tentatively and turned on a light. He put the first key into the lock on the filing cabinet and it opened. He smiled in satisfaction and shut the drawer. Before he turned out the lights, he noticed that Olivia's shirt was on top of the cabinet. 

********** 

The door opened and Olivia sat up. It was her lawyer, Stephen Miller. 

"Great news!" Miller said cheerily. 

"You got a new tie for the trial?" She said flatly. 

"You're cleared! They're processing you now and you'll be out within the hour," he said, as if it was his doing. 

"How?" She asked, half-thinking it might be some sort of cruel joke. 

"I think there's someone here who'd like to explain it," Miller said, grinning. He stepped to the side and let Elliot through. He was smiling and he wrapped Olivia in a huge hug. After a moment, she drew back. 

"Hi," he said. 

"Hey." 

"We arrested your neighbour, Colleen Deverell, and your locksmith, Don McRae, this morning." 

"What for?" 

"Breaking and entering. Tampering with evidence. Obstruction," he stated. 

"Thanks," she said. 

"I'll wait for them to process you. I believe Munch and Fin would like your help on the Lynne Stevens case," he said. 

"Elliot," she began seriously, "We need to talk." 

"Whoa! I'd better be going. Nice working with you, Olivia," said Miller emphatically. She waved him off. Elliot sat down on the cot and she sat beside him. 

"I'm not sure if I....." She began. 

"Nothing has to happen yet," he cut her off, "I'm getting the divorce, but it's not your fault and I don't want you to feel responsible for what's going on between Kathy and I. We don't have to rush into anything. We don't even have to do anything. I mean, I'd like, at least, to be friends...." He said it hastily, assuming. She looked at him. 

"I was going to say I'm not sure if I can wait." 

He bent his head down and kissed her, lips parting gently. She felt a shiver of happiness pass over her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"Olivia Benson?" They broke away from each other at the voice of the guard, Olivia blushing furiously. "You're ready for processing. Come with me, please. Your friend can wait downstairs." Olivia nodded and followed the guard out. She turned back to Elliot when they reached the stairs. She realized she hadn't said something. 

"Elliot?" He turned. "I love you, too," . 

********** 

Finally finished. Let me know what you think? 


End file.
